Reposted by Hardy Merriman
“Why is political violence on the rise? Because it gets results.”
In an interview with PRA, Hardy Merriman and Scot Nakagawa break down how we can combat political violence using backfire principles. Read the full interview here: politicalresearch.org/2024/11/21/q....
![PRA: What is political violence? What forms does it take here in the U.S., and what impact does it have on democracy?
Hardy Merriman: In simple terms, political violence is the use of violence to try to achieve a political goal or advance a political message.
We look at the perpetrator’s intention when deciding to use the term “political.” All acts of violence have political implications—whether interpersonal or structural—but when that violence is done with [a] particular political motivation, we call it political violence.
And its effects are huge. Political violence is very damaging to U.S. democracy. With it, a small group intends to gain power outside of the democratic process. Through violence, they instill fear to limit our exercise of constitutionally-guaranteed rights, like that of free speech. They try to reduce voter turnout during elections, and then dispute the results to circumvent the process. They can also use it to try to drive people from public service, threaten judges and juries, and get businesses to stop taking certain positions.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:eqre2sxfebqonsel7k63q34v/bafkreiagtx6x67gfxi7imdn5pu6tk7zd4i5twf3efhfu35jmj4yiaj2ooq)
![Hardy Merriman (continued):
And this country has a history of using political violence to keep entire populations in fear: It’s part of the glue that held together the Jim Crow South. It’s been targeted at groups such as LGBTQ people. It’s been targeted at workers and laborers who seek fair wages and safe working conditions. And it’s used against those who show solidarity with those groups. Unless we stop it, I fear it will continue to get worse.
Scot Nakagawa: The impact of political violence and threats is profound. Organizations, for example, are rolling back canvasses and losing volunteers because people aren’t willing to expose themselves and their families to the possibility of threats and violence. [This is] a critical issue that we need to deal with by reminding people that the vast majority of us oppose most violence, and certainly political violence of this kind. We must get people to feel they belong to the majority and give them the opportunity to take actions they feel are real and palpable.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:eqre2sxfebqonsel7k63q34v/bafkreigcx6mhtounljxhclsl6pwevhgzx2evj7w5weq6zdtefwgizgsthy)
